Kurdistan - "Heron"

​​​​​​​​On 5th April 1991, by the Resolution n. 688, the UN Security Council ordered Iraq to stop the repression and facilitate the interventions of the international humanitarian organizations if necessary. The Italian Government formalized the participation in "Provide Comfort" on 2nd May and the first units left from Livorno and the airports of Pisa and Caselle on 3rd and 4th May 1991. For security reasons the raiders and the paratroopers carried out patrols and check points, by monitoring a territory of 1.400 sq Km and all the area Zakho-Kirkuk-Baghdad that was in its sector. The operational forces guaranteed the defensive belt of the contingent and contributed​ in the creation of a security area to permit the refugee return.

Since 9th July the disengagement of the units with the transfer of the field hospital to the civil hospital of Zakho. When all the multinational forces left Iraq, only 15.000 Kurds remained in the "transit camps".

On 17th July the last unit of the Heron Contingent came back to the Homeland.